Tata team on recce visit

Tata team on recce visit
23 Sep 2008, 0416 hrs IST,TNN

BANGALORE: Giving out yet another positive signal that they may zero in on Karnataka for the Nano project in case they decide to relocate from Singur in West Bengal, a Tata Motors delegation visited two locations near Dharwad, proposed by the industries department.
In the wake of an assurance by the state government that it was ready to offer the company 1,000 acres for the small car project , the Tata Motors team led by managing director G Ravi Kanth visited Gamanagatti and Tarihal last week. It is 7-8 km from Telco in Dharwad city, where the company has another plant.
"The state government is confident that Tatas will choose Dharwad as their destination to set up Nano plant in case they decide to relocate from Singur. As a good sign towards that, our officials along with the delegation have done a field visit last week,'' large and medium industries minister Murugesh R Nirani told reporters here on Monday.
Stating that everything was moving in a positive direction, the minister said he has sought an appointment with Tata group chairman Ratan Tata. The Tata Motors delegation met chief minister B S Yeddyurappa last week and sent clear signals to the West Bengal government that they are not averse to pulling out from Singur if the land transfer row is not resolved.
After the assurance that they would get 1,000 acres in Dharwad, Tatas had told the government that they will respond in a fortnight.
Karnataka has already allotted nearly 900 acres of land in Dharwad for Tata Motors where luxury buses, their components, light commercial vehicles and vans will be manufactured.